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Author
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Comment
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Jeff
Schechter
Registered User
(7/24/05 11:04 am)
ezSupporter
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Jewish Folktales
Hi all:
I'm looking for iconic objects references from Jewish Folktalks. Preferably items based on European folktalkes rather than biblical items. The Golem is a perfect example.
Can anyone think of other items/objects from Jewish folktales?
Thanks.
JEFF SCHECHTER
www.TotallyWrite.com
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midori
snyder
Registered User
(7/25/05 9:15 am)
ezSupporter
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Re: Jewish Folktales
off hand no. Or at least not ones that would be specifically Jewish...there are many images/objects such as rings, mirrors, doors (that lead to hellish places), lamps, vampires, demons, werewolves, magical books.
but have a look at the work of Howard Schwartz...especially his introduction to an excellent collection: Lilith's Cave, Jewish Tale sof the Supernatural. It might provide you with more references. I do think it might be difficult to separate the biblical from the folktale...they seem on my reading so infused. So many Jewish folktales have Rabbis (who often dabble in a bit of protective magic...) confronting various demons and evil spirits.
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Writerpatrick
Registered User
(7/26/05 8:57 am)
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Re: Jewish Folktales
There are a number of fairy tales in Grimms that involve spiritual figures such as God and the Devil, but they tend to be Christian versions.
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GreenMonk
Registered User
(7/27/05 9:07 am)
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Re: Jewish Folktales
I would have to say that attempting to seperate jewish folktales from religious folktales is pretty much impossible... The culture and the religion are one and the same. So attempting to seperate the two is like trying to take Gods out of the Olympian mythos. However there are some specific Rabbi's in particular who make many repeat appearances (at work right now and don't have any references...I'll look for some though) and they seem to be mythic figures (sages if your will) as well as protectors.
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Veronica Schanoes
Registered User
(7/27/05 1:38 pm)
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Re: Jewish Folktales
Speaking as an atheist Jew who comes from a few generations of atheist Jews, I completely disagree that it's not possible to separate Jewish culture from religion. Sure, there's a great deal of overlap and interweaving and blah blah blah, but plenty of us identify as Jewish culturally without being religious. The Wise Men of Chelm stories tend to be about fools in general, though I do understand that the origin story for the Wise Men of Chelm is religious.
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GreenMonk
Registered User
(8/4/05 1:47 pm)
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Re: Jewish Folktales
Hate to disagree, but the cultural basis of being Jewish (religiously active or not) is that of the Religion... otherwise, we jews (yes, I too was born Jewish) would just be another nomadic arabic tribe. But the formulation of jewish culture is completely based on religion, unlike the case of many other cultures, which are based on a geographic area or sociological grouping and not entirely dependant on a religious affiliation (i.e. American folklore is not religion based, but location based for a culture).
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Veronica Schanoes
Registered User
(8/8/05 12:25 pm)
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Re: Jewish Folktales
The cultural basis of being Jewish was the religion. That is indeed how the society was organized and how the culture developed. But fortunately for me, we are no longer living in enclosed nomadic cultures, and culture has become a different, separate thing from religion. This is one of the reasons that Sephardim, Askenazim, and Falashas have different cultural traditions despite sharing a religion. My family carries on a number of cultural traditions and practices that are deeply Jewish. And we're atheists. Have been for generations.
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